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How neurons get past 'no'
A new Salk study shows that inhibitory neurons do more than just inhibit neuron activity like an off-switch; paradoxically, they actually increase the amount of information transmitted through the nervous system.
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UMD introduces new CRISPR 3.0 system for highly efficient gene activation in plants
Yiping Qi at the University of Maryland (UMD) introduced a new and improved CRISPR 3.0 system in plants, focusing on gene activation. This third generation system focuses on multiplexed gene activation that can boost the function of multiple genes simultaneously. This system boasts four to six times the activation capacity of current state-of-the-art CRISPR technology, demonstrating high accuracy and efficiency in up to seven genes at once.
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Younger adults are taking medications that could affect long term oral health
Medications can play a significant role in oral health. A new study from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Dentistry demonstrates that many younger adult dental patients are taking medications and highlights the importance of dental providers reviewing medication histories regardless of age.
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Cosmic hand hitting a wall
Motions of a remarkable cosmic structure have been measured for the first time, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The blast wave and debris from an exploded star are seen moving away from the explosion site and colliding with a wall of surrounding gas.
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Case report: Remdesivir induced dangerously low heart rate in COVID-19 patient
After beginning treatment with remdesivir for COVID-19, a patient experienced significant bradycardia, or low heart rate. Her physicians used a dopamine infusion to stabilize her through the five-day course of remdesivir treatment, and her cardiac condition resolved itself at the end of the treatment. The case is discussed in Heart Rhythm Case Reports, an official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, published by Elsevier.
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New findings unveil a missing piece of human prehistory
A joint research team led by Prof. FU Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences sequenced the ancient genomes of 31 individuals from southern East Asia, thus unveiling a missing piece of human prehistory.
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Adolescent marijuana, alcohol use held steady during COVID-19 pandemic
Adolescent marijuana use and binge drinking did not significantly change during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite record decreases in the substances' perceived availability, according to a survey of 12th graders in the United States. The study's findings, which appeared on June 24, 2021, in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, challenge the idea that reducing adolescent use of drugs can be achieved solely by limiting their supply.
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Embryologists reveal a secret of a worm with regeneration super abilities
This worm that lives in the White Sea is able to restore lost body segments. However, it turned out that suppression of FGF protein activity disturbs this ability. Similar proteins are found in humans. This discovery may lead to developing methods of fast wound healing. The research findings are published in the journal Genes as part of the project supported by the Russian Science Foundation.
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Study highlights natural history and conservation importance of Chinese mountain cat
In the largest-ever study undertaken of Chinese cats, genetic detectives highlight the evolutionary uniqueness and premier conservation importance of the elusive Chinese mountain cat (Felis silvestris bieti), found only in the Tibetan plateau of China.
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The job you want vs. the job you get
The perfect job may remain elusive according to new research from the University of Houston which points to major discrepancies between young people's dream jobs and employment realities.
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Are zebra mussels eating or helping toxic algae?
While invasive zebra mussels consume small plant-like organisms called phytoplankton, Michigan State University researchers discovered during a long-term study that zebra mussels can actually increase Microcystis, a type of phytoplankton known as 'blue-green algae' or cyanobacteria, that forms harmful floating blooms.
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Versatile, fast and reliable SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay
During the continued progression of the Corona pandemic, rapid, inexpensive, and reliable tests will become increasingly important to determine whether people have the associated antibodies - either through infection or vaccination. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now developed such a rapid antibody test. It provides the result in only eight minutes; the aim is to further reduce the process time to four minutes.
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Spreading of infections = need for collaboration between biology and physics
Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, together with epidemiologist Lone Simonsen from Roskilde University form part of the panel advising the Danish government on how to tackle the different infection-spreading situations we have all seen unfold over the past year. Researchers have modelled the spread of infections under a variety of scenarios, and the Coronavirus has proven to not follow the older models of disease spreading.
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Cosmic dawn occurred 250 to 350 million years after Big Bang
The study, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, suggests that the NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scheduled to launch in November, will be sensitive enough to observe the birth of galaxies directly.
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Immunotherapy may be effective for subset of prostate cancer
Researchers report that about a quarter of localized prostate cancers may demonstrate immunologic traits that would allow a substantial number of patients with prostate cancer to benefit from immunotherapies.
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Membrane proteins of bacteria and humans show surprising similarities
The cells of simple organisms, such as bacteria, as well as human cells are surrounded by a membrane, which fulfills various tasks including protecting the cell from stress. Researchers have now discovered that a membrane protein found in bacteria has a similar structure and function as a group of proteins that are responsible for remodeling and rebuilding the cell membrane in humans. No connection between the two protein groups was known before.
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People with fibromyalgia are substituting CBD for opioids to manage pain
As the ravages of the opioid epidemic lead many to avoid these powerful painkillers, a significant number of people with fibromyalgia are finding an effective replacement in CBD-containing products, finds a new Michigan Medicine study.
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Mount Sinai study finds that rotator cuff injuries account for nearly half of shoulder injuries among collegiate baseball players, identifies other risks
Mount Sinai Study Finds That Rotator Cuff Injuries Account for Nearly Half of Shoulder Injuries Among Collegiate Baseball Players, Identifies Other Risks
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Points to consider for studies of work participation in people with inflammatory arthritis
Inflammatory arthritis is the name for a group of diseases that cause joint pain and swelling. This happens because the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and causes inflammation. Types of inflammatory arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and axial spondyloarthritis. Inflammatory arthritis often affects people of working age, and can impact their employment. Work participation is often lower for people with inflammatory arthritis than the general population.
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Ethane proxies for methane in oil and gas emissions
Measuring ethane in the atmosphere shows that the amounts of methane going into the atmosphere from oil and gas wells and contributing to greenhouse warming is higher than suggested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to an international team of scientists who spent three years flying over three areas of the U.S. during all four seasons.
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